SCOTLAND&
EURO 2016
been good enough if the
Republic of Ireland lost
both their final matches which they didn’t.
Scotland 2-3 Germany
Scotland turned it on in
the next game, where they
weren’t expected to get
anything, however they ran
into a Germany side that
were just streets ahead on
the night.
Every time Scotland battled
back, Germany quickly
pulled another goal in
front and we just couldn’t
keep up with them in the
enthralling encounter.
Some pride was restored
with this performance –
with featured a cracking
McArthur strike – but
ultimately, it leaves our
hopes of qualifying for Euro
2016 hanging by a thread.
Scotland 2-2 Poland
Realistically this was a
must-win match to keep our
hopes of qualifying alive,
although a draw would’ve
26
Strachan opted for Steven
Fletcher ahead of Leigh
Griffiths in attack, but it
was Poland’s striker Robert
Lewandoski, who was in
red-hot form approaching
this match, who opened the
scoring almost immediately.
Scotland battled back
with two beauties from
Matt Ritchie on the stroke
of half-time and Steven
Fletcher in the second half.
We were on course to grab
the play-off position with
15 minutes to go, until
news filtered through that
Ireland had the lead against
Germany.
As Scotland fans frantically
tried to find out if the
Germans had got the
equaliser we needed,
Lewandoski scored in the
final second of the game
from a scrappy free-kick
which came back of the
post in his direction.
Scotland were eliminated.
It was a question of how
many Scotland would score
in this one, and just like at
Hampden Park, it was six.
Chris Martin headed the
Scots in front, Steven
Fletcher netted a hattrick and Steven Naismith
and Shaun Maloney each
grabbed a goal.
The Scotland supporters
were in fine voice and it
looks like their reaction was
the reason Gordon Strachan
has decided to stay on for
World Cup 2018 qualifying
- hopefully we can make
this one! The opportunity is
there for Scotland to take,
let’s just hope they don’t
start too cautious. They
need to take the game to
Poland to have any chance
of winning.
Final Table
Germany: 22
Poland: 21
Republic of Ireland: 18
Scotland: 15
Georgia: 9
Gibraltar: 0
Gibraltar 0-6 Scotland
So it was off to Portugal
for the final match, a
dead-rubber against a
Gibraltar side that remained
pointless.
THE STUDENT VOICE: AUTUMN 2015